Ludwig Reinheimer honors his mother, Clara Geismer Reinheimer, who was born in Berisach, Germany, which is located near the Swiss border. Clara married Israel Reinheimer after his first wife passed away; the couple had two children, Hedy and Ludwig. The family’s life changed dramatically after Kristallnacht; they were forced to hide in the woods for several days while synagogues and Jewish businesses and homes were destroyed by the Nazis. When they returned, Clara’s husband Israel was beaten and then arrested. She was able to appeal to the mayor and secure his release; the mayor was sympathetic to the fact that Israel was a World War I veteran. The family eventually escaped to the United States in 1939. After staying with relatives, Clara and her family boarded a train for Nashville and eventually settled into their new home. Clara was employed at the May Hosiery Mill for a period of time and later worked as a homemaker, raising her two children. She died on January 31, 1991.
The Nashville Holocaust Memorial